The objective of the invention is to fulfill a need in the art for a more versatile, more interesting, less expensive and durable game apparatus of the type employing marbles or small balls molded from nylon or the like for the selective playing of several different games by use of the one apparatus.
More particularly, the game apparatus features an artificial carpet grass or turf mat which constitutes an ideal playing surface for games utilizing glass marbles or small plastic balls. The artificial grass surface is neither too fast nor too slow for the purposes of the games being played with marbles or small balls. This has been one of the difficulties in the prior art with marble-type table games which have employed felt surfaces similar to pool tables. Such surfaces are much too fast to allow proper control of marbles. The present artificial grass mat closely approximates the playing quality of traditional outdoor dirt surfaces commonly utilized for the old-fashioned school yard marble game.
The artificial grass mat utilized in the invention enables the marble type games to be played indoors as on a table or on a floor surface, or outdoors. The establishment of outdoor recreation centers is contemplated at which permanent tables or slabs formed of concrete can be constructed to support the playing mats and other accessories which are taken indoors for safekeeping at night. The apparatus is equally suitable for indoor games, as will be further described in full detail. Many features and advantages of the invention over the known prior art will become apparent during the course of the following description.
To comply with the duty to disclose known prior art under 37 C. F. R. 1.56, the following United States patents are made of record herein: U.S. Pat. Nos. 104,151; 2,219,675; 197,504; 2,636,740; 246,208; 2,639,151; 3,578,321 .